Frequency and etiology of chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis

Abstract

Objectives: Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis (CNH) is a painful nodule affecting the pinna. The etiology of the disease is unknown. We devised to show a correlation between CNH and systemic health problems of the patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 17 patients with CNH and the other lesions of the ear that incoming differential diagnoses of CNH, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, verruca vulgaris, neurofibroma, fibroepithelial polyp, seborrheic ceratose, and cystic lesions, a total of 131 patients that were diagnosed between 2011 and 2012 in the Clinics of Dermatology and Pathology of Çankr State Hospital. Cardiovascular problems of the patients were queried meticulously and recorded. Results: With 17 patients 12.97% of the 131 patients were CNH. The mean age of the patients was 47.41 and the age range of the CNH patients was 32-79 years, with a mean age of 54.9 years (SD ± 13.23 years). The mean diameter of the lesions was 4.57 mm for CNH patients. The lesions were located at the right air mostly (85.71%) and all of them were located at the helix of ear. The laboratory results of the CNH patients showed that most of them (88.2%, 15 patients) have high cholesterol and lipid levels. By the way six of them (35.2%) also had cardiac problems. Conclusion: Our results showed that the main problem is the defect of arterial blood supply of the pinna. Also we detected that12.97% of the lesions were CNH, while cystic lesions take the first place among all other ear lesions.